


Getting Accepted

by ConceitedLlama



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accepting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Narcissa Black Malfoy, Coming Out, F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Lucius Malfoy's A+ Parenting, M/M, Narcissa Malfoy's A+ parenting, One Shot, mild homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:14:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27885103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConceitedLlama/pseuds/ConceitedLlama
Summary: He’d survived a war, for fuck’s sake. He could do this. He could. His parents loved him, they could handle this. All he had to do was tell them, and then it would all be over. That’s all.--Draco comes out to his parents.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 128





	Getting Accepted

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! This is my first fic, so enjoy. Feel free to share and comment!! :D
> 
> Not beta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> TW for referenced self-harm (not explicit), although if you want to skip it stop reading at 'it wasn't great' and start reading at 'eventually Pansy and Blaise'  
> TW for mild homophobia, no slurs, just parents trying to come to terms with Drarry. 
> 
> JK Rowling sucks and I do not support her and her transphobic views.   
> Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, I'm only borrowing them

_ ‘So this is for every kid who all's they ever did _

_ Was dreamt of one day just getting accepted _

_ I represent him or her, anyone similar _

_ You are the reason that I made this song’ - Eminem, Guts Over Fear _

  
  


Draco bit his lip nervously, staring out the window. 

‘You nervous?’ Harry nudged his leg, leaning slightly on him. 

Draco just nodded, returning his gaze to the window, his thoughts spiralling around him and a sick taste of bile in his mouth. 

He’d survived a  _ war, _ for fuck’s sake. He could do this. He could. His parents loved him, they could handle this. All he had to do was tell them, and then it would all be over. That’s all. 

Easier said than done, he chuckled to himself. 

It wasn’t like he wanted to come out to them- he didn’t. He’d be perfectly happy keeping this shit in the closet for the rest of his life and just ignoring his sexuality for eternity. The problem was, Harry had been dating him for a year, and it wasn’t worth the stress of hiding it from his parents. The constant fear of being caught together in public, or one of his friends letting something slip. He’d rather they found out that they were dating straight from him, rather than through some gossip. 

It didn’t stop him from being scared shitless though. All of the possible negative reactions replayed in his head again and again, and there weren’t any good scenarios. Harry had been trying to fill his mind with optimism, but it wasn’t working at all. 

Draco readjusted his position, allowing Harry to rest his head on his shoulder. 

‘Whatever happens Draco, I’ll be there,’ Harry paused, ‘they’re your parents, they love you, and so do I, we’ll be fine.’ Draco wished he could believe him, but he smiled anyway. His parents did love him, deeply, but they also had a very certain idea of what their pureblooded son should do, who he should marry and spend the rest of his life with, and none of these involved Harry Potter in the slightest. 

The past year of them dating had been the best of his life. After calling a truce on their anonymity between one another at the beginning of their eighth year, they soon became close. Harry was shit at Potions, just as Draco was shit at the new compulsory Muggle Studies, so they soon became study partners. 

They would spend many hours together studying, both trying to keep up with the never-ending demands of the eighth year. During these study sessions, they very quickly realised that they were both fucking hilarious. It was rare for them to leave the library on their own accord, instead of being kicked out by Madam Pince for laughing too loudly or getting up to various shenanigans. 

Whilst eighth year had many negatives, and everyone seemed to be at a constant low as they tried to recover from the war, it was the friendship between the two of them that kept Draco going. He almost wished he hadn’t spent so many years on their pointless feud, as Harry wasn’t an arrogant, confident dick once you got to know him. 

It was one evening, when they were both hammered, that everything changed. Harry had kissed Draco. 

Neither of them had thought about their relationship before, and the drama that ensued after wasn’t great. Both of them grew distant, and their conversations were limited. They never fought, but there was an unspoken, unanimous decision that their friendship was over. They both went to very dark places, and the war finally came crashing down on both of them. Draco hadn’t realised how much easier it had been to stop his brain when he had Harry, and now that he was left to his own thoughts, it wasn’t great.

Draco almost bottled some of his exams, and he blamed it on Potter entirely. His self-esteem got lower and lower, and he didn’t realise just how bad it was getting until Pansy walked in on him trying to scratch his dark mark off. He joined the therapy that the school was offering as a result of the war, but he still couldn’t ignore the hole he felt in his life that Potter had left. It felt like he’d never be right again. 

Eventually Pansy and Blaise convinced him to talk it through with Potter. It was just a kiss, for fucks sake, they could get over this. 

So they started to date. It was rocky at first, but things began to go more smoothly as school ended and they continued with their lives. He wasn’t going to act like he was doing great now, but Harry did make his life seem worthwhile. He’d helped Draco get through the past year, and their relationship had only strengthened. 

It was when they began to speak of moving in together and their futures that Draco knew he had to tell his parents. As much as he wanted to keep this secret forever, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to move in with Harry without telling his parents.

Here they were. 

  
  


They were taking the muggle train to his parents today. Draco didn’t think he could physically handle apparition right now, and over his time dating Harry, he had grown to like the muggles' method of travelling. It differed greatly to the Hogwarts Express, and he had been terrified at first. The noises the train made definitely did not sound right, and Draco, despite getting rid of many of his old prejudices, was reluctant to use muggle contraptions- there was no way that they were safe. However, after travelling by train so often with Harry, he had grown to enjoy the gentle rumble of the train and distant conversations of the other passengers. It calmed him down, and as he sunk into his seat he began to feel more at ease. 

It was going to be  _ fine.  _

Fingers crossed. 

\---

Draco hadn’t even heard them call his stop, but all too soon Harry was pulling him off the train and they began to make the short ten-minute walk to the Manor. They walked in silence, Harry occasionally squeezing Draco’s sweaty palms for reassurance. 

Draco could have sworn that the Manor looked even more menacing and threatening today. He tried to smile at Harry but gave more of a grimace as they both approached the front door. 

This was it. 

The door was answered by Nippy, their house elf. They followed him through the Manor, holding hands, ready to face the music. His parents knew that they were to meet his significant other, but he doubted they were anticipating Harry Potter. The urge to run away and never come back was powerful, but his feet carried him towards his parents. 

Nippy opened the door to the drawing-room, announcing their arrival, and they both stepped in front of the Malfoy’s, hands held. 

Draco would have laughed if he wasn’t so fucking nervous. Both of the older Malfoy’s sat up straight in the velvet armchairs, and their faces were comical, a mix of shock and awkwardness coupled together to create a distorted expression. They didn’t move, just stared straight at the boyfriends. Draco swallowed the growing lump in his front, as Harry squeezed his hand in reassurance.

Harry and Draco stood there for what felt like hours before his mother gained her composure and rose from her chair- inviting them both to sit. They swallowed simultaneously, before approaching and sitting opposite them. The normally comfortable armchairs felt sharp upon Draco’s back, and the usual security he felt in these chairs was absent. 

No one said anything for a couple of minutes, the two couples just stared at one another, sizing each other up. 

It may have been Gryffindor bravery, or stupidity, but Harry cleared his throat, ‘Um, it’s, um, nice to meet... to meet you, Mr and Mrs Malfoy.’ He stuttered over his words, blushing deeply against his dark skin and lowering his gaze to the floor. 

He’d been through a war, but he would much rather have faced Voldemort again than face the look his father sent towards him and his boyfriend. It was a look of disgust, of arrogance, as he looked condescendingly down on Harry. Draco slid across the armchair, letting his knees touch Harry’s as a sign of comfort. 

Lucius ignored the subtle contact, finally finding his voice and turning to Draco, ‘what is the meaning of this?’

‘Mother, Father, Harry, and I are dating.’ He said this as confidently as he could, but his voice came out in a squeak and he looked towards Harry for help. The fear was evident in his face, his parents’ minimal words setting them both on edge. They all shifted, Lucius leaning back on his chair, sizing up the two boys before his face turned to a threatening smile.

‘And how long have you two been,’ Lucius gestured blindly to the air, ‘in a relationship?’

Oh, Merlin. ‘A year,’ Draco answered shortly. 

‘And you felt as though we had no business knowing?’

‘Lucius.’ Narcissa warned. 

‘No, Cissa. I want to know why our son has been dating someone for an entire year and felt us not important enough to know.’ 

Draco’s pale cheeks turned beetroot red, and he wasn’t sure what to say. His father’s harsh tones set him on edge, and he struggled to cultivate any kind of response. Not one to stutter, he just looked into his father’s cold, blue eyes and prepared to reply. 

‘I didn’t feel as though this was something that I should bring up. I feared that you would react negatively, and Harry and I were not serious until a few months ago’ 

At this, Narcissa’s frown deepened, and sadness seemed to cross her face. Lucius remained impassive, staring rudely at his son. 

There was a pregnant pause, and Narcissa took many seconds to gather herself. Draco watched his mother and could see her preparing something to say. Her eyes still bore a look of sadness, but his father’s face stayed as inscrutable as ever. Gathering her composure, Narcissa looked towards her son and his boyfriend. 

‘You were worried about how we would react, dear?’ Narcissa lent towards her son, placing her hands in his. ‘Whilst this isn’t the partner I would have chosen for you, I would never feel poorly of you because of who you want to date. You’re my son, and I will always love and support you, no matter what. I’m sorry you felt you couldn’t come to us sooner.’ 

Draco didn’t know how to react. He smiled gratefully at his mother, surprised at how quickly she handled this. She squeezed his hands, placed a small kiss on his forehead, and returned to her seat. He looked to his father, who looked as though he disagreed with everything his wife had just said. Draco wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but his father made a small inclination of his head in his direction, his face the same impassive mask. 

Despite desperately wanting to leave, they spent a good few hours with his parents, trying to make it seem normal that Harry Potter was having an afternoon tea with the Malfoy’s. There were many awkward pauses, and Lucius tried hard not to acknowledge his son’s relationship with Potter. Draco could tell he wasn’t happy about this news as he didn’t speak a word more, instead choosing to send many directed glares at the two boys, in particular Harry. Narcissa was an angel, however, making sure to include them both in everything and able to save the conversation if it began to get a bit stilted. 

All in all, Draco felt good. 

\---

Later that night, Draco found himself awake. He was happy about his parents’ reaction but felt nervous that his father hadn’t acknowledged their relationship properly. Even though he had only expressed anger and upset at the fact Draco had been dating Harry for a year and hadn’t told them, Draco could still tell his father wasn’t happy with his relationship. He understood that his father wasn’t the most emotional person, but would it have killed him to have just put his mind at ease, as his mother had? 

His father’s approval meant so much to him, and it upset him more than he’d like to admit that his father wasn’t too happy.

He was being stupid, he knew it. He should be thankful, his parents reacted considerably better than he was anticipating, and he knew that many others weren’t as lucky as he was. He still had a large inheritance, his parents cared about him and just wanted him to be happy.

He felt selfish. Why was he worrying? His parents would come around, and they hadn’t reacted  _ that  _ badly. 

_ They loved him  _ he reassured himself. 

So why couldn’t he sleep?

\---

Lucius would be lying if he said he had expected this. He knew that Draco was nervous about his father meeting his partner, the wording of his letter clearly dictated that, but he never would have imagined Potter walking through his door. He imagined someone like Pansy coming through, someone who he didn’t particularly like, but didn’t have any qualms about him dating. 

Potter though- he felt weird about. 

Just two years ago, Lucius was trying to kill the boy, and now he had to embrace him as a potential son in law? It was absurd to Lucius, and it was causing him to miss far too much sleep. He wanted to be supportive of his son, but it just felt _ weird.  _

It would have been hard enough to come to terms with the fact that his son wasn’t straight, but to be dating Potter? Draco just had to make his life hard, didn’t he? 

Something just felt wrong. He couldn’t explain it, but something felt off with Lucius. He felt almost sick thinking about his son's relationship. 

Lucius had never had any problems with gay people, he had many gay friends, but when it came to his son? That was different. He needed an heir. How was his son to produce him an heir if he couldn’t conceive with Harry? What would the public think? Sure, the wizarding world was quite accepting, but there would always be some people who would look down upon their son for being gay. He didn’t want his son to taint the reputation of the Malfoy’s- it was already so bad. 

But he knew, no matter how weird he felt, he’d have to accept it. He was being selfish, he knew that. All of his problems with his son’s sexuality revolved around how it would look on  _ him  _ and  _ his  _ reputation, but he needed to consider Draco- the very real person affected by this. He couldn’t upset his son, and he understood it would break Draco if he were to express his true feelings. This was happening, and he would have to deal with it. At the end of the day, Draco was his son and he couldn’t change this, and it was on Lucius to handle it. 

He loved him. 

\---

Draco hadn’t spoken to his parents in the two months since he had come out. Whilst this wasn’t unusual for them, as contact had become rare since the war and he didn’t have the best relationship with them, this deeply unsettled him. He knew they needed time to come to terms with it, and he couldn’t bring himself to contact them. A feeling of dread and fear had settled itself permanently in his stomach, and he couldn’t shake it. 

The past two months had been torture. He missed his parents so much, and a half of him wished he hadn’t come out. His mother said they had been fine with it, so why haven't they at least written? As much as Draco missed his parents, he couldn’t bring himself to write to them. This was  _ their  _ problem, not his. If they couldn’t accept him it was their loss, not his- at least this was what he had been trying to tell himself. 

He must admit though, whilst he was worried and concerned about his father’s reaction, Draco felt as though a huge weight had been lifted. It felt as though a boulder had just been removed from his shoulder, and he could breathe. 

Harry could go out to with him, they could hold hands in public, and Draco could yell to the world that he’s gay. It was something he had wanted to do for years, and while he felt down about his parents' reactions, he finally felt free. 

It was probably the first time in his life that he felt truly able to be himself. This thought saddened him, while simultaneously feeding him a great sense of happiness and release. These paradoxical thoughts bounced around Draco’s head, and he felt constantly overwhelmed.

When the owl came, it was a happy release. 

\---

_ Dear Draco,  _

_ I am sure you noticed my unease and surprise at the recent news you presented to me. _

_ I didn’t handle it the best, and I understand that this may have affected you negatively, so I would like to first offer my apologies. I should have embraced you and told you just how much you mean to me, as I wish to do soon. The news came as such a shock that I was unsure of how to react, but this isn’t fair on you- you didn’t ask for this.  _

_ I accept you and wish to have you and Potter over for dinner sometime. This has been hard for me, but I understand that it must be way harder for you. I’m sorry you felt you couldn’t tell us about such an important part of your life.  _

_ Our relationship has been rough over the years, and I am sorry. Just understand that whilst I do not say it much, I love you deeply.  _

_ Love your Father,  _

_ Lucius.  _

\---

It was short, but Lucius wasn’t sure he could write anymore. It got the point across, and he didn’t want to spend hours cultivating and fabricating a flowery text with many useless words, he wanted it to be direct and to the point. Plus, loathe he was to admit it, the pile of discarded drafts was growing and he was reaching his wit’s end.

He could only hope his son would accept it. 

\---

It was short, but Draco understood it perfectly. Wiping away a tear on his cheek, he smiled and clutched the letter to his chest. 

His father’s approval meant everything to him, and he grinned.

His father loved him. Those months of worry were pointless because his father loved him. It may have taken quite a bit of time, but his father was fine. 

And he loved him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading- I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Please comment because ~~I need validation~~ I like to know what you guys think! :D 
> 
> If anyone wants to speak about any of the issues here, feel free to DM me. My Tumblr is http://onmywaytohogwartsrn.tumblr.com/
> 
> Look after yourselves, hope you're all well :D


End file.
